We recently connected with Brad Driver and have shared our conversation below.
Brad, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
We never intended for Thirteen Adventures to become a business. When we first hit the road in our Airstream, we were just two professionals—a Marine and a Nurse Practitioner—looking to keep our families in the loop. But we quickly realized that while people liked seeing the views, they needed to understand the machines that got us there.
The Pivot: The Call for Technical Truth
The “idea” phase wasn’t a single lightbulb moment; it was a realization born from thousands of comments. As we shared our journey, the questions shifted from “Where is that park?” to “My electrical system just failed, what do I do?” Coming from a military background, Brad knew that adventure is only possible if your equipment is mission-ready. We saw a massive gap in the community: plenty of people were showing the “glamour” of RV life, but very few were providing the technical expertise to sustain it.
The Execution: Getting Certified
To move beyond being “people with a trailer” and into a legitimate business, we knew we had to back up our experience with credentials. The “next phase” of Thirteen Adventures involved a deep dive into professional education:
Professional Certification: Brad didn’t just want to be “handy”; he became a Certified RV Technician and RV Inspector. This turned our casual repair tips into professional-grade advice.
The Business of Inspections: We realized that the most stressful part of the “adventurous life” is the fear of buying a lemon. By adding professional inspections to our repertoire, we moved from being content creators to being a vital service provider for the community.
Balancing the “What” and the “How”: We had to restructure our platform. While we still love to entertain and share our travels, we shifted our primary focus to the technical aspects—upgrades, repairs, and inspections—because that is where our followers told us they needed the most help.
The Result: A Trusted Technical Resource
Today, Thirteen Adventures is a dual-threat brand. We still show the beauty of the trail and the joy of the nomadic life, but we ground it in the reality of maintenance and mechanics.
We went from sending digital postcards to family to becoming the “tech support” for the Airstream community. We’ve found that the best way to help people live an adventurous life isn’t just to show them the destination—it’s to give them the technical confidence to get there and back safely.
Brad, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
We are Brad and Blair, and along with our Golden Retriever, Piper, we are the team behind Thirteen Adventures. Our story is one of service and transition: Brad spent over 24 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, and Blair has spent 15 years as a Nurse and Nurse Practitioner.
We didn’t just stumble into the RV industry; we were forged in it. After decades in high-intensity careers, we traded the “sticks and bricks” life for 27 feet of silver aluminum. Our journey has taken us through 100,000 miles of road, several different rigs, and the ultimate test of endurance: a 2,198-mile thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail (yes, Piper was there too!). Today, we’ve combined that “boots on the ground” experience with professional credentials to become a premier technical resource for the Airstream and RV community.
What We Do: Technical Solutions for the Adventurous Life
Thirteen Adventures serves as both a digital mentor and a professional service provider. We provide:
Professional RV Inspections & Technical Services: As a Certified RV Technician and Inspector, Brad provides the peace of mind that every traveler needs. Whether it’s a pre-purchase inspection to ensure a buyer isn’t getting a “lemon” or a complex repair, we bring military-grade diagnostic skills to every job.
Educational Content: Through our YouTube channel and blog, we provide deep-dive tutorials on everything from solar upgrades to DIY interior renovations. We focus on the “why” and “how” so our followers can maintain their own rigs with confidence.
Adventure Advocacy: We provide the “blueprint” for a nomadic life, proving that you can balance a career, health (including Blair’s ultra-marathon training), and a happy dog while living in a tiny space.
The Problems We Solve
The RV industry can be overwhelming and, at times, unreliable. We solve the “Confidence Gap”:
For the Buyer: We eliminate the “fear of the unknown” through rigorous, professional inspections before you sign on the dotted line.
For the Owner: We demystify complex RV systems, turning a “scary” mechanical failure into a manageable fix.
For the Dreamer: We provide a realistic, transparent look at what this life actually requires—mechanically, physically, and mentally.
What Sets Us Apart: Precision Meets Compassion
What truly distinguishes Thirteen Adventures is our dual-perspective. You get the technical precision and discipline of a Marine/Certified Tech paired with the clear communication and care of a Nurse Practitioner.
We aren’t just “influencers” who bought a trailer for the aesthetic. We have lived in these vehicles full-time for years through every season. We’ve handled furnace failures in sub-zero temperatures and managed the logistics of a family (and a Golden Retriever!) living on a trail for months. We don’t just talk about the lifestyle; we’ve mastered the mechanics of it.
What We Are Most Proud Of
While we are proud of our 100,000+ miles and Blair’s 100-mile ultra-marathons, we are most proud of the trust we’ve built. We are committed to showing the grease under the fingernails. We are proud that our name, “Thirteen”—the atomic number for aluminum—has become a hallmark for integrity and technical excellence.
What We Want You to Know
When you follow Thirteen Adventures or hire us for an inspection, you’re getting a partner in your journey. We want our followers to know that adventure is accessible, but preparation is mandatory. Our mission is to give you the tools, the technical knowledge, and the inspiration to stop dreaming about the road and start driving it with total confidence.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
or us, the most rewarding aspect of being “creatives” in the RV space is the unparalleled freedom of movement. Unlike traditional careers, our “office” changes with our curiosity. One week we are filming a technical repair tutorial under the neon sunsets of the Southwest; the next, we are writing about the logistics of mountain living from a trailhead in the Pacific Northwest.
But beyond our own geography, the true reward comes in three specific forms:
1. The Freedom of Self-Reliance There is a profound creative satisfaction in taking a complex, broken system—like a malfunctioning RV electrical grid—and translating it into a clear, actionable guide for others. When we create technical content, we aren’t just making a video; we are gifting our followers the same freedom we have: the freedom to stay on the road because they no longer fear their own equipment.
2. The Intersection of People and Places Because our business is mobile, we don’t just “reach” an audience—we meet them. We have the unique opportunity to roam the country and connect with our followers in person, at rallies, or even at a random boondocking spot. Being a “creative” in this industry means our community isn’t a list of names on a screen; it’s the people we share a campfire with.
3. Designing a Life, Not Just a Living We’ve found that the most impactful thing we “create” is the blueprint for a different kind of life. Whether we are showing the grit required for Blair to train for a 100-mile ultra-marathon from an Airstream or the precision Brad uses in a professional inspection, we are creating a narrative that says: “You don’t have to choose between a professional career and a wild life. You can have both.”
Watching someone else gain the confidence to start their own journey because of a story we told or a repair we taught—that is the ultimate “creative” success.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Our lives have been defined by the “pivot.” In the military and in medicine, you are taught that the plan rarely survives first contact with reality—you have to adapt to survive. Our business, Thirteen Adventures, is the result of three major life pivots that taught us how to trade security for adventure.
Brad: From the Front Lines to the Inspection Line After 24 years in the U.S. Marine Corps, the transition to “retirement” was supposed to be a slow-down. But for a Marine, the need for a mission doesn’t just disappear. Brad’s pivot wasn’t planned; it was accidental.
As we lived the nomadic life, he found that his military-instilled discipline—the attention to detail, the “mission-first” mindset, and the mechanical aptitude—was exactly what the RV industry was missing. He pivoted from leading Marines to becoming a Certified RV Technician and Inspector. It wasn’t just a career change; it was a translation of his life’s work into a new language: ensuring the safety and freedom of fellow travelers.
Blair: From Bedside to the Open Road Blair’s career has been a masterclass in the intentional pivot. She began as a bedside nurse, providing high-level care in high-stress environments. Seeking more autonomy and a deeper impact, she pivoted to become a Nurse Practitioner.
But the biggest shift came when we decided to go full-time. Blair pivoted again—from a permanent, stationary practice to becoming a Traveling Nurse Practitioner. This move was the “key” that unlocked our lifestyle. It proved that you don’t have to quit your profession to change your life; you just have to change the way you deliver your expertise.
The Collective Pivot: Creating Thirteen Adventures The final pivot was the most personal. We went from being professionals who “vacationed” to professionals who lived nomadically. We had to learn how to be “digital creators” while also being technical experts, ultra-marathoners, and parents to a very active Golden Retriever.
Why These Pivots Matter
These shifts weren’t just about changing jobs; they were about removing the ceiling on our lives. * Brad’s technical certification solved the “what do I do now?” post-retirement question.
Blair’s move to travel nursing solved the “how do we fund this?” question.
Together, these pivots solve the most important question our followers ask: “Can I really change my life?”
We are proof that you can take twenty years of experience in one field and pivot it into a brand new world. We didn’t leave our skills behind; we just brought them with us in the Airstream.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thirteenadventures.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thirteenadventures/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thirteenadventures/
- Twitter: https://x.com/thirteenadvent
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/thirteenadventures
